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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. season — of the year
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — in sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. object — a thing
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com